Delhi Elections 2025: Who is the richest candidate? Check assets of top 5 crorepati contenders

BJP candidate Karnail Singh has emerged as the richest contender in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, with declared assets worth a staggering Rs 259.67 crore, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). Singh, contesting from Shakur Basti, tops the list of 699 candidates in the fray- a significant wealth gap among contenders.

Close behind Singh is BJP’s Manjinder Singh Sirsa from Rajouri Garden, who has declared assets worth Rs 248.85 crore. The third richest candidate is Congress’s Gurcharan Singh from Krishna Nagar, with assets totaling Rs 130.90 crore. Rounding out the top five are BJP’s Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma (New Delhi) with Rs 115.63 crore and AAP’s A Dhanwati Chandela (Rajouri Garden) with Rs 109.90 crore.

In stark contrast, three candidates have declared zero assets, including Shabana from the Rashtriya Republican Party and Independent candidate Yogesh Kumar. Among those with minimal wealth are Ashok Kumar (Independent) with assets worth just Rs 6,586 and Anita (Independent) with Rs 9,500.

The ADR report also highlights the average assets held by candidates from major parties. BJP candidates lead with an average of Rs 22.90 crore, followed by Congress at Rs 14.41 crore, and AAP at Rs 11.70 crore. Independent candidates, on the other hand, have significantly lower average assets, underscoring the financial challenges faced by those outside the major political parties.

Liabilities are another notable aspect of the candidates’ financial disclosures. Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma has the highest liabilities at Rs 74.36 crore, followed by Manjinder Singh Sirsa with Rs 57.68 crore. In terms of income, Verma reported Rs 20.60 crore for the 2023-24 fiscal year, primarily from business ventures and pension.

Compared to the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, the number of candidates analysed has increased from 672 to 699. The report notes a slight rise in the number of billionaire candidates, with five candidates declaring assets exceeding Rs 100 crore—three from the BJP and one each from the Congress and AAP.

Delhi will vote on Wednesday (February 5).